This invention relates to the field of recessed lights, and more particularly to a—conversion kit to install light-emitting diodes into a standard incandescent recessed light housing.
It has become commonplace to install recessed lighting in ceilings, where the fixture is out of the way. Recessed lights provide comfortable light where it is needed, without harsh lateral lighting. These fixtures pose several problems. Firstly, the insulation is insufficient. Estimates of heat losses run up to $5.00 per fixture per year due to air leakage through the fixture. Furthermore, incandescent lamps burn out quickly, leading to high maintenance costs. In a high cathedral ceiling, the lamps are difficult to reach. Changing the fixtures from incandescent to light-emitting diode (LED) lights would solve these problems and more. LED lights are compact. They draw very little power, and develop very little heat, for their output rating. LED lights deliver high light output in a small package. They can produce light in many different colors. They can be dimmed selectively. LED lights last for thousands of hours.
Incandescent conversion to LED lights is known in the art. Some prior-art examples can be seen in the following U.S. patents:
Hulgan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,734; Leong, U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,151; and Cross, U.S. Pat. No. 7,053,557; each shows a conversion for long fluorescent bulb fixtures to LED lights.
Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,280; Yan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,535; Wu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,347; Madadi, U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,042; and Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,459; each discloses a multiplicity of LEDs in a glass envelope with a standard screw mounting.
Duve, U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,347, illustrates an exit sign retrofitted with LEDs hard-wired in place.
Each of these patents discloses a device for retrofitting a standard light bulb housing with the LED lights. None of them addresses the specific problems of retrofitting a recessed lamp fixture with the LED lights, such as reducing or eliminating the air draft heat loss through the fixture.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an LED conversion system for recessed lighting that can be quickly and easily installed in an existing recessed fixture.
There is a further need to provide an LED conversion system for recessed lighting of the type described and that reduces or eliminates the air draft heat loss through the fixture.
There is a yet further need to provide an LED conversion system for recessed lighting of the type described and that can be dimmed selectively and remotely.
There is a still further need to provide an LED conversion system for recessed lighting of the type described and that will last many times longer than conventional lights.
There is another need to provide an LED conversion system for recessed lighting of the type described and that can be manufactured cost-effectively in large quantities of high quality.